Prenatal care from a conventional medicine perspective follows a
standard that is an excellent starting point. Tobacco and alcohol
restriction, measuring iron levels, checking fetal structural
development, BP and urine measurements, and other aspects of primary
care prenatally are important pillars. With more funding, and if asked
to direct a higher standard of care, these are the additional
recommendations I would make:

1. Disseminate information to would-be parents,prior to conception, that a pre-pregnancy session with a trained professional is advisable.

2.
During the pre-pregnancy session, an individualized treatment plan
would be outlined by a holistic professional, with the intention of optimizing mom's health.
This session could be used to understand Mom's lifetime habits and
exposures, address nutrition imbalances, optimize liver function,
provide support for digestive and intestinal health, and detoxify
tissues following the principles of functional medicine. Setting the
target date for conception based on a measurable change in Mom's health
would be advised. (The same process can be used for Dad based on
research indicating the importance of sperm health.http://www.ivf.net/ivf/sperm-damage-can-be-passed-to-children-o3239.html)

3. During the pre-pregnancy session, a discussion would take place emphasizing the importance of: a balanced diet;
the avoidance of dietary chemicals like high fructose corn syrup, MSG
and aspartame; assessment and avoidance of food allergies, intolerances
or sensitivities; organic food choices with direction on avoiding "the
dirty dozen"http://bit.ly/ltSaBM; the best fish choiceshttp://bit.ly/Q5mC3; and the basics of hydration including the healthiest water sources.

4. A home survey would
be conducted, with education about: the importance of avoiding home
renovation projects during, and perhaps prior to, pregnancy; cleaning up
indoor air quality; the common sources of household leadhttp://1.usa.gov/lj9KsB; and the strict avoidance of chemicals like pesticides. Scanning the home for EMF's and geopathic stress could be included.

5. Aworkplace survey would
be included as well, again with the purpose of identifying and
avoiding sources of poor air quality, excessive radiation, and
oxidative stressors.

6. Provide sound advice about dental procedures and cleaning during pregnancy where amalgam fillings are involved.

11.
Instruction on appropriate physical activity, air travel, emotional
stress and other impactful daily activities that are often taken for
granted.

This is a list that can be expanded as research develops
regarding how to best protect a developing fetus from any negative
influence of environmental and nutrition factors. It is based on
personal experience in my medical practice where taking detailed case
histories, including pregnancy exposures, of a tremendous number of
families has been part of my daily routine for over 10 years.

The
goal is ensuring the healthiest newborns and children possible,
understanding that studies have shown that at birth 287 chemicals have
been found in cord bloodhttp://bit.ly/pIsyQ.
For some children, perhaps the ones with susceptibilities or
compromised nutrition, a chemicalized start to life inside, and then
outside, the uterus is a contributing factor in developmental disorders.

Parents
are advised to bear in mind that fetal tissue concentrates many
chemicals to a much higher level than what exists in Mom's tissues, that
many chemicals move to the baby from Mom during pregnancy, and that
the blood-brain barrier is not fully developed until at least 6 weeks after birth.
A little education in this area can go a long way, which in my mind
should begin prior to conception. Because the question needs to be
asked: are we as a society, in the 21st century, doing all we can to
ensure a healthier start for our newborns?